


Subject NV01- Part THREE

by killerofcanon



Series: Subject NV01 [3]
Category: Welcome to Night Vale
Genre: Angst, Cecil Has Tentacles, Fluff, but not in a sexy way
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-12-25
Updated: 2017-01-05
Packaged: 2018-09-11 23:16:07
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 9,008
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9040406
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/killerofcanon/pseuds/killerofcanon
Summary: Cecil and Carlos's story is not yet over.





	1. Suspicions

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I finally found inspiration for part three! I'm not going to spoil anything, just that I took an idea from the Walking Dead comics. I hope those couple of you who asked for this like the first chapter! I know it's not as high-action as Subject NV01 usually is, but trust me... we'll get there.
> 
> Also, if you read this chapter before 1/3/17, you need to re-read it, because I combined what was originally the next chapter so they would both be a better length. Thanks!

It had been a long time since Carlos had another nightmare. Several months had passes since the event that caused him to nearly fall apart. His leg- though shot three times, broken, broken again, and broken even more, had healed in three months with the angel blood- quicker than he would have thought possible. He asked Erika if he could have a sample of their blood to study it, which they allowed, but he had to hide it whenever Cecil came around. After everything, Cecil still widely denied the existence of angels. Carlos caught him once, months ago, acknowledging them just long enough to thank them for everything the Erikas did for Carlos. It made Carlos’s heart flutter.  
After all the trauma Carlos suffered, he wouldn’t have traded any of it for what he got in the end: Cecil. And Cecil was the same way. Neither man would change a thing in the world.  
Their relationship had progressed slowly, neither of them wanting to ruin what they had by rushing it. Frequent dinners and kisses and wild dancing hadn’t stopped, and Carlos prayed it never would. He mostly slept in Cecil’s bed, but if Carlos needed some space for a night, Cecil was fine to see him in the morning.  
If anything, Carlos had wanted to move a little faster than Cecil. It was playfully frustrating for Carlos, because Cecil would never let things get… heated… until Carlos got his cast off. Cecil was so afraid of hurting him, despite Carlos’s desperate assurances that he was fine. Eventually, Carlos did get the cast off, and Cecil no longer had any restrictions. It was magical. Carlos couldn’t remember ever being so in love. Whether Cecil was gazing at a screaming rising sun, or devouring some of Carlos’s mother’s recipes that Carlos prepared for him, doing the dishes with every single one of his tentacles, or passed out on the couch, head in Carlos’s lap… everything he did was adorable to Carlos. Carlos still didn’t understand how anyone could ever look at him and see a monster.  
That night, Carlos did have a nightmare. He woke up sweating and thrashing, panting hysterically, next to a shirtless Cecil.  
“Carlos!” Cecil groggily awoke, sitting up to put his arms around Carlos. “It’s okay. He can’t hurt either of us ever again.”  
At Cecil’s soothing honey words, Carlos calmed down. He looked into Cecil’s glittering eyes, lit by the moonlight.  
“Thank you.” Carlos nuzzled his head into Cecil’s shoulder. Cecil sighed happily. A couple tentacles extended and wrapped themselves up in Carlos and his hair. Carlos liked when Cecil did that, because he could tell the exact moment Cecil fell asleep by when his tentacles retreated back into his body. Carlos fell asleep before Cecil though, the thumps of Cecil’s heartbeat under his head steadily lulling him back to sleep.  
When Carlos woke up, Cecil was somehow even more entwined with Carlos. Their limbs were a tangled mess. Carlos lazily strained under Cecil’s grip to check his watch on the bedside table for the time.  
“Shit, Cecil.” Carlos muttered. It was Saturday, and neither of them had work, but Carlos was supposed to meet Reyes and his mother at their house for lunch. He had already slept too late to shower.  
“Wha…” Cecil rubbed his eyes and moaned in protest. “Stay in bed…”  
“I can’t. I’m late. Do you want to come to lunch with my mother and Reyes? I think Reyes said she was inviting Janice, too.”  
Cecil groaned and sat all the way up, tousling Carlos’s hair and making him chuckle before kissing his shoulder.  
“No, I’ve got something to do today.” He sat up and walked into his bathroom, splashing his face with cold water.  
“Oh? What is it?” Carlos called, sitting up on the bed and watching Cecil’s routine.  
“Community business. It’d bore you.” Cecil replied simply. Cecil went out on “community business” every once in awhile, but never told Carlos much else about what he was doing. Regardless, Carlos could hear a smile in Cecil’s voice, and thus was sated.  
He got up and slipped up behind Cecil, placing tiny kisses on the back of Cecil’s neck, wrapping his arms around Cecil’s waist in a soft hug. He buried his nose in Cecil’s scent while Cecil brushed his teeth. Carlos lost himself in time, holding Cecil and swaying, enjoying the moment with him. He enjoyed every moment with him.  
“I’m not complaining, but weren’t you late, like, twenty minutes ago?” Cecil reminded him.  
“Shit.” Carlos reiterated. “You should have reminded me twenty minutes ago.”  
“Yeah, right.” Cecil smirked. “I was going to let that end early.”  
Carlos faked a groan of annoyance and went to his own room to pull some casual clothes out of the dresser. He ran a thick tooth comb through his hair, rinsed out with some mouthwash, and took off after yelling out a goodbye to Cecil on his way out the door. He was exactly twenty minutes late to his mother’s, but he couldn’t say he regretted how he actually spent that time.  
“Madre, hola.” He greeted when she answered the door, kissing both of his cheeks.  
“Good morning, Carlos. We’ve got black bean soup that I made Reyes stir while I got the door. It’ll be done in a second. Janice is here.” She led him in.  
“Hi, Janice.” He waved at her, sitting in her wheelchair at the dining table awaiting the meal. Reyes was pouring soup into bowls.  
“Carlos!” She smiled teasingly. “I thought you were never going to get away from your boyfriend.”  
“Very funny, Reyes.” He let it slide. His mother put the bowls down in front of everyone. There was an empty chair.  
“Are we expecting someone else?” Carlos asked.  
“I thought you might bring Cecil.” Febe, Carlos’s mother, admitted.  
“I invited him, but he said he had ‘community business’.” Carlos explained as he ate a spoonful of soup.  
“Oh? I thought he had Saturdays off.” She tilted her head.  
“He does. I don’t know what he’s up to. If it were anything big, I’m sure he’d tell me.” Carlos felt uncomfortable with the interrogation.  
The subject passed, but Reyes was eyeing him. After the meal, once he had helped Febe clean the table, Reyes cornered him in her room.  
“Are you at all worried about what Cecil does when he’s not at work or with you?” She crossed her arms.  
“No. He has things to do, Reyes. We’re not one person. I don’t need a play-by-play of his schedule.”  
“I know. I’m not- I don’t mean to be rude, seriously. I’m just looking out for my brother.” She pursed her lips. Carlos could see that she was sincere, but still took her comments lightly.  
“Reyes, no man I find will ever be good enough for me in your eyes.” Carlos chuckled, then paused. “Are you sure you’re not still a little jealous that I live with him instead of here?”  
“No!” She crossed her arms even further. “I get it. You didn’t live with us before. I just… we both know Night Vale is weird. Mostly it’s in good ways, like Janice’s tail and stuff… but I have a weird feeling about this. ‘Community business’ is a weird thing to say, you have to admit.”  
“What do you want me to do, hire a private investigator to follow him?” Carlos raised an eyebrow skeptically.  
“No, dummy. I just think you should make sure he’s not off like, sacrificing virgins or eating babies or something.” Carlos laughed out loud that time.  
“Cecil is a vegetarian.”  
“You’re laughing, but you have to know I’ve got a point. Just because you went through hell together doesn’t mean you know everything about him.” She warned.  
“Reyes, you don’t have to tell me that. I live with the guy, and we share a bed most of the time. I trust that any secrets he has are no threat to me, and he’s allowed to have them, okay?”  
“Fine. You’re probably right. Can you at least ask Old Woman Josie if she knows what ‘community business’ means? Even if it’s just because I’m curious.”  
“Sure. I’m curious about something too… how are things with Janice?”  
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” She turned away. Carlos thought he saw her blush.  
“Yes you do. But I don’t mind if you don’t want to talk about it.”  
“I would, but… I’ve left her alone with Mom long enough. Mom’s probably told her all our weird baby stories by now. Ugh, it’s going to be torture.” She groaned.  
At her words, Carlos subconsciously rubbed the top of the gnarly scar on his chest in the shape of a letter “K”, and winced at his own touch.  
“Oh God, Carlos, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean-”  
“Don’t worry about it. Exaggerating is part of being a teenager. But I’d watch that kind of talk in front of Janice.” He knew she didn't mean to remind him of the actual torture Carlos experienced, but it still hurt to think about. He brushed the thoughts away.  
“Yeah, you’re right. I’m sorry.” She gazed down nervously.  
“C’mon, let’s go save Janice from Mom.” Carlos forced a smile and led Reyes out. He didn't want her to be hurt over her mistake.  
A little while after, once they all had plenty of time to socialize, Carlos said his goodbyes to the family. While he was out, he decided to go out to Josie’s. He couldn’t stop thinking about what Reyes said. He didn't mind if Cecil was hiding something from him, but his curiosity was burning. Reyes did have a point about it possibly being something… unsettling. Nothing awful, Carlos was sure. He would just say hello to Josie and the Erikas, and possibly ask a little about “community business”.  
They were all happy to see him once he got to the door. Josie answered, first looking annoyed, then her gaze softening at the sight of Carlos.  
“Come on in, honey. What can I do for you?” She led Carlos inside and they sat on her living room couches. Erikas scattered around the house, some as close as lurking over the two. Carlos paid no mind, and neither did Josie.  
“I came to ask you something, but now that I’m here… I feel really silly.” Carlos admitted. What had he been thinking…  
“Ask away.” She leaned back on the cushion, propping her feet on the coffee table.  
“It’s about Cecil.” Josie’s eyes widened at that.  
“You two are incredibly close. Why could you possibly feel like you couldn’t ask him yourself?” She seemed concerned.  
“I’m going to, but… I don’t know. I came here first to see what you would say. I don’t know if he’s hiding something from me, and I wanted to know if you would both give me the same answer. I guess that’s how I’d know I really was just being ridiculous.” Carlos confessed windedly. He could see Josie reading him; she clearly picked up on his anxiousness.  
“I doubt there’s anything Cecil would hide from you. This isn’t about infidelity, is it?”  
“No!” Carlos shook his head. “That’s not even- I know he loves me. I want to know… what’s he doing when he says he’s going off on ‘community business’.” The last part came out so quickly and nervously that Carlos was surprised Josie could understand him at all. He hadn’t realized how much stress he had built up on the issue, when it was probably nothing.  
“Community business?” Josie repeated. “It’s not some secret code word, if that’s what you’re thinking. Or, if it is, I’m not in on it. I can’t imagine anything Cecil would hide from me. We’ve been telling each other everything for ages.” Carlos blushed, thinking about everything about him that Josie probably knew. He wasn’t irritated or angry with Cecil about sharing their lives- hell, Cecil did it on the radio at least every other week- but it was still embarrassing to imagine. He tried not to think about it.  
“He never goes on ‘community business’ while he’s at work, which is why it doesn’t make any sense. There’s no pattern to it either, I don’t think, just every once in awhile he says it and then leaves. I just don’t understand.”  
“Have you asked him before?”  
“I asked him for details, and he said it would bore me.” Josie said nothing, only looked at Carlos deeply in the eyes and pursed her lips. Carlos was uncertain of the silence. “Josie?”  
“He could be telling the truth, Carlos.” She finally suggested.  
Now it was Carlos’s turn to be silent, only instead of making eye contact, he gazed defeatedly at his shoes. An entire minute passed, but Josie let him brood.  
“Am I a terrible boyfriend for not trusting him? Am I about to ruin our relationship?” He sighed as he looked back up. Josie’s feet were off the table, her elbows on her knees. She was completely focused.  
“Don’t think like that. Just talk to him about it, express your concerns- I’m sure he’ll understand. Honesty is the best thing to do for your blossoming love.” Carlos grinned at the last two words.  
“Blossoming love?” He repeated, not mockingly, but with a laugh.  
“I call it like I see it.” She kicked her feet back up on the table. Carlos noticed there was a lot of dirt marks on the wood. Josie must do that a lot.  
“I’m going to go find him.” Carlos declared, standing up.  
“Great.” Josie smiled. “You know the way out.”  
Carlos headed for the door, catching a glimpse of the kitchen table where he once almost bled to death, and the hallway to the bedroom where he laid, unconscious, for several days on two separate occasions. He had a lot of memories in that house. Carlos felt lucky to have a friend like Josie around. She somehow always knew exactly what to say. He confidently left for he and Cecil’s apartment.  
Carlos let himself in and paced around the kitchen for several minutes. Everything Josie said had comforted him, but he was still a bit on edge. Confronting Cecil about his concerns was going to be… tough. But it needed to be done. As he ran his fingers through his hair thoughtfully, he decided that he was being ridiculous. He would just call Cecil and clear things up. Cecil loved him, and would never intentionally do anything to make Carlos anxious. Just as he pulled out his phone-  
“Hellooo, gorgeous.” Cecil smiled as he came out of his bedroom dressed as he usually was- which is to say, wearing an ensemble that barely passed as clothing.  
“Cecil!” Carlos jumped. “I thought you were still out.” He felt his heart speed up, but he couldn’t pinpoint the reason why. He decided it was likely multiple reasons.  
“No, I got home about fifteen minutes ago.”  
“Oh.” Carlos looked at his phone in his hand. “I was just about to call you.”  
“What for?” Cecil approached warmly, taking Carlos’s empty hand in his and holding it softly. He rubbed the top of Carlos’s hand with his thumb, making Carlos swoon.  
“I wanted to talk to you about something.” Carlos bit his lip nervously, hoping Cecil couldn’t feel his pounding pulse through his hand.  
“Oh?” Cecil let go of Carlos’s hand and sat down on the couch. Carlos joined him, pulling his legs to his chest and leaning against a pillow.  
“Yeah…” Carlos drifted off, somehow not knowing what words to say, but knowing they needed to be said. He swallowed his inhibitions and let it out. “What is ‘community business’?”  
Cecil’s eyes widened at the question, but not in a guilty way. In a confused way. He returned his face to normal. Carlos noticed a pair of tentacles was brushing up against his legs and feet, as Cecil often did when they were together.  
“It’s nothing interesting.” Cecil wrapped a tentacle around Carlos’s wrist and squeezed reassuringly.  
“Well, can you tell me what it is?” Carlos felt his palms sweating. Cecil avoiding the question had made him more nervous.  
“Carlos, are you alright? I feel your pulse in your wrist and it’s almost scary.” Cecil scooted closer, genuinely worried for his boyfriend.  
“I’m… fine.” Carlos blurted. “If you don’t want to tell me what it is, that’s okay, but I’ve gotten myself all worked up over it… and I need a direct answer.”  
Cecil took a deep breath and made firm eye contact with Carlos.  
“I can do that.” He breathed again. “When I say ‘community business’... I’m just helping out the Secret Police. That’s why I’ve been so secretive, darling Carlos. I’m sorry I worried you, but I wasn’t supposed to tell you unless I had to.” Cecil gazed apologetically at Carlos.  
“Helping… them? But with what? Why do they need your help?” Carlos shook his head, piecing it together.  
“You have to know I can’t tell you that, Carlos. Just know that I’m perfectly safe, and I’m at the station.” Cecil placed a comforting hand on Carlos’s knee. They smiled at each other warmly, but Carlos’s smile fell when he looked down at Cecil’s hand and saw that the first three knuckles were bloodied and busted open. Bruises were forming around them.  
“God, Cecil, what happened to your hand?” Cecil recoiled at the observation. Carlos narrowed his eyes. “You said you were safe.”  
“I am.” Cecil leaned in, trying to assure Carlos he was telling the truth. “You should see the other guy.” He smirked, and Carlos smiled too.  
“You’re so cliche.” Carlos giggled. Cecil took the sound as an invitation to wrap several limbs around Carlos and hug him just tightly enough to make him laugh some more. Cecil placed a big, soft kiss on Carlos’s cheek. Carlos turned his head and gave Cecil and even bigger kiss on the lips.  
“I’m sorry I worried you.” Cecil apologized again sympathetically.  
“It’s okay. As long as a hurt hand is the only thing that happens to you.” Carlos expressed his concern.  
“If I were in any danger, I’d tell you. And ask for your help.” Cecil smiled.  
“My help? I’m not the one with six, super-strong extra limbs.” Carlos retorted.  
“Are you kidding, Carlos? You’re the first person I would go to for help out of danger. You’re an unstoppable force when you believe in what you’re fighting for.”  
“There you go again, being cliche.” Carlos teased and tried to hide his blush. Cecil kissed him softly, cupping his cheek in his hand. Carlos felt a tentacle brush through his hair, to which he sighed contently.  
“Do you want to go get something to eat?” Cecil suggested with a smile.  
“I ate a lot at lunch.” Carlos turned down, nuzzling up to Cecil on the couch. Cecil draped his arm around Carlos’s shoulder, and Carlos sunk into him even further. He listened to Cecil’s heartbeat and sighed happily again. Cecil placed a tiny, sweet kiss on the top of Carlos’s head. Carlos tilted his head to the side and placed a tiny, sweet kiss on Cecil’s neck. Cecil scooted away so he could see Carlos’s face better, and cupped it with his hand, brushing Carlos’s cheek with his thumb. Carlos leaned forward suddenly and kissed Cecil on the lips. Every time their lips met, it had just as much electricity as the very first time. Cecil deepened the kiss, three tentacles wrapping around Carlos’s back to hold him, the others tangled in his hair and legs. He loved the security of being held or touched by every one of Cecil's limbs. They didn't pull away, just taking a deep breath before pressing their lips together again, and again, and again. Carlos pulled himself up while simultaneously pushing Cecil on his back on the couch, leaving Cecil smiling at the pleasant surprise. Carlos straddled Cecil’s body and kissed him even harder than before. Both of them felt the deep desperation of it, mouths gaping and smashing together as their bodies lay aligned on the couch. Carlos lifted his head to make eye contact.  
“Your room?” He breathed heavily. Responding wordlessly, Cecil picked Carlos up by wrapping all his tentacles around Carlos’s waist and carrying him to his bedroom. Carlos giggled and squirmed as he was carried off.  
A perfect amount of time later, Carlos found himself laying in bed with Cecil, only covered by the bedsheet draped right above their hips. This time, Cecil’s head on the space between his neck and shoulder, Cecil's hand across his boyfriend’s bare chest while Carlos’s hand was wrapped around Cecil and playing with his hair. Carlos pecked the top of Cecil’s head lightly.  
“God, I love you Cecil.” Carlos mused. He was so happy, he felt that there was nothing in that moment that could bring him down.  
“I love you too, my sweet Carlos.” The smile was evident in Cecil's voice. Carlos checked his watch. It was late in the afternoon, and he didn't have anywhere to be. He was just happy to sit there with his lover. All of his stress about “community business” seemed so pointless. Ever since the two had established trust way back at Strexcorp, there had never been any reason to doubt. Carlos expressed his inner thoughts by nuzzling Cecil.


	2. Teenage Spies

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Reyes and Janice take matters into their own hands.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Make sure you read the end of chapter ONE if you haven't, because it's been updated.  
> Anyway, sorry for the long wait, but I didn't have my computer for over a week.   
> Chapter three coming... eventually  
> love ya

Reyes walked/rolled Janice home after lunch, because she had some chores to do, and agreed to meet Janice later that afternoon at the community pool. Carlos had only been gone a few minutes, and was likely still on his way to Josie’s.   
To Reyes’s surprise, she bumped into Cecil on her way back home.  
“Cecil? I thought you were out on ‘community business’.” She noted. Cecil’s face changed from pleasantly smiling at seeing her to furrowing his brow.  
“Oh, did Carlos tell you that?” He asked nonchalantly. She nodded. “Well, I was. I’m going back home now.”  
“From where?” Reyes dared, crossing her arms passively.  
“What’s with the interrogation?” Cecil smiled. It seemed genuine, but Reyes was suspicious. Reyes said nothing, but narrowed her eyes at him. His smile faded, and he looked concerned.  
Reyes uncrossed her arms with guilt. She and Cecil had bonded a lot while Carlos was… engaged… and now, she could see he felt like he had done something wrong. She began to think that maybe she was being overprotective of Carlos. He was an adult. He could handle himself. She sighed.  
“Sorry, Cecil. I didn't mean to insinuate anything. Well, I did mean to, but I’m sorry.” She pursed her lips. Cecil glanced down at the sidewalk and said nothing. “I’ll see you around.”   
She walked past him back home. Reyes even considered texting Carlos and telling him to forget all the stupid suspicion stuff, but decided she had pestered him enough for one day. She greeted her mother and started on the tasks Febe assigned her.  
Reyes sat down on her bed, deep in thought. She had just finished helping her mother clean the house, and was about to leave and go meet Janice at the community pool… even though they had just hung out for lunch less than four hours earlier. It’s not like there was anything better for them to do besides spend time with each other. But Reyes, at that moment, wasn't thinking about Janice. She was thinking about Carlos.  
She was nervous for him, because of Cecil. Though she had felt guilty after the way Cecil looked at her when their paths crossed on their separate ways home, she returned to feeling uncomfortable at Cecil's ease at redirecting the conversation. Even if he was offended by the questioning, what could it have hurt to just tell her?  
Reyes was sure he had his reasons, but she didn’t like it. She hoped Carlos would text as soon as he found out what was going on, but she also really didn’t want to wait, so she resolved to find out some more on her own.  
She skipped down to the pool after changing into her swimsuit and saw that Janice had already gotten there by herself. While some people in wheelchairs made better time being pushed by someone else, Janice’s arms were incredible, and her speed rolling solo was impressive. Reyes admired her before Janice noticed she was there. She hadn’t gotten in the water yet, but was sitting in her wheelchair with her tail uncovered. Reyes loved the way the scales glistened in the sun. Janice was a sight to behold.   
Reyes snapped herself out of her trance and walked all the way over to Janice. Janice walked on her hands into the water and dove in with a trick flip, and Reyes cannonballed after her. They talked and laughed.  
“Alright, my turn.” Janice announced in regard to the game they were playing. “Who do you think would survive on a desert island the longest- my uncle or your brother?”   
“Ooh, that’s a hard one.” Reyes laughed. “Cecil, for sure. He’s got eight arms!” Janice cracked up.   
There was a lull in conversation, and Reyes narrowed her eyes, thinking about Cecil again.  
“Janice, what does Cecil do when he’s doing ‘community business’?” She asked, leaning against the pool wall.  
“I don’t know, but I don’t think it’s anything important. Why?”   
“I feel like he’s hiding something.” Reyes admitted.  
“Like what?” Janice furrowed her brow.   
“I… I don’t know. He just got weird when I asked about it and wouldn’t tell me anything.” She explained.  
“So? What’s the big deal if he is hiding something?” Janice countered defensively.  
“I’m worried for Carlos’s sake.”   
“What?” Janice was slightly taken aback. “You’re worried for Carlos because of Cecil? Have you been paying any attention to them since you got here? Cecil would probably die before he hurt Carlos in any way.”   
Reyes paused and took it in.  
“You’re right.” She sighed.  
“What got you stuck on finding this out, anyway?”   
“Carlos brought it up to me; he was concerned about it.” She told her.  
This time Janice paused. She looked like she was thinking heavily. Finally, she spoke.  
“Okay, if you really need to know what he’s doing… I know where he does it.”  
“You do?” Reyes gasped.   
“Yeah. He has to walk past my house to get there, so I followed him once, but I stopped once he got to the room where he does… whatever he does.” She smiled mischievously.   
“That’s awesome.” Reyes noted. “Where?”  
“The basement of city hall. It’s not the public records office, but some room down a different hall.”  
“How am I going to find it?”   
“It’s not labeled or anything. You’ll have to follow him like I did.” She smirked. “You should stay at my house so we’ll see him on his way.”   
“Genius.” They shook hands to seal the plans for espionage.  
It was two days until Cecil walked past Janice’s house again on his way to City Hall. Janice and Reyes had a lot of fun staking out the window, and generally just hanging out. But then, it was go time.  
“Look! Look, there he is.” Reyes pointed. She felt like she should have something spy-like to grab on her way out, but she didn’t actually need anything. “I’m off.” She hugged Janice before slipping out and tailing Cecil.  
She made it to City Hall behind him without incident, but the part in the building would be much more difficult. If a mermaid could do it without being seen, so could she.   
Cecil walked down the stairs to the basement, and Reyes stayed one flight behind him at all times in his blind spot.   
At the bottom of the stairs, he went through a door that locked, and Reyes just barely made it in time before the door closed her out. She sighed with relief.   
There were several doors down several hallways. Reyes never would have been able to find the right one if Cecil wasn’t involuntarily leading her to it. He went into the door, and Reyes held it a fraction of an inch open and looked in. It was pitch black in the room, and she heard the sound of a metal chair being dragged across the tile floor. There was a click, and a single light bulb dangling from the center of the room turned on. The whole setup seemed pretty cliche to Reyes, but that was often how Cecil operated.   
Cecil was sitting in the chair facing the opposite wall, and finally, Reyes saw what he was looking at. It was a poorly-groomed man who looked like he had seen terrible things. He was in a metal cage. He had a black eye and a busted lip. He wasn’t wearing a shirt, so Reyes could see bruises all over his torso, and even scars. Almost like what she saw on Carlos, except no big letter ‘K’ in the center. Reyes had to clamp her hand over her mouth to keep from gasping when she realized that Cecil was keeping and torturing a prisoner.   
“Good afternoon, Kevin.” Cecil purred, a layer his voice that Reyes was unsettled by.   
She almost gasped again at the mention of that name. Cecil told everyone Kevin was killed by the Secret Police, which meant… he had lied to Carlos. Reyes hoped Kevin wouldn’t see her. Looking at him was horrifying. Even reduced to the state that he was, imagining him doing the things he did to Carlos was almost too much. She was staring at a real monster.  
“Today’s the day, Kevin.” Kevin looked up weakly before confidently standing up. He was clearly struggling physically.   
“The day for what? Are you finally going to kill me?” He groaned coldly. Cecil said nothing. “There isn’t a thing you can do to me that will take back what I did to your lover.” A corner of his mouth turned up in a defiant smile. “Every time he gets dressed in front of you, every time you make love to him, you’ll see my mark. I own him, and I always will.”   
Cecil lurched forward and grabbed Kevin by the neck with a tentacle through the bars of the cage, holding him an inch above ground. Kevin struggled for a second, then gave up. He smirked apathetically.  
“Funny you should mention that.” Cecil cooed, sending a shiver up Reyes’s spine. Cecil dropped Kevin and turned around walking to the other end of the room and coming back holding a terrifying knife. It was as long as his hand, and thin, with a serrated edge. A tentacle opened the cage door, removing the barrier between them. Cecil used tentacles against Kevin’s neck, arms, and legs to hold him against the wall, while he toyed with the knife in his hands.  
“What’s this?” Kevin mumbled.   
Cecil leaned back for a moment before, out of nowhere, punching Kevin straight in the mouth. Kevin grunted before spitting blood to the side.   
“If you keep this up, you’re going to kill me before you’re done with your fun. Just like I thought I did to Carlos.” He purred Carlos’s name. Cecil punched him again, even harder.  
“I told you not to say his name!” Cecil yelled. Reyes had never heard him raise his voice before, and she was shocked. It was all she could do to stay still and silent.   
“Just get on with it.” Kevin whispered weakly, thick spills of blood dripping out of his mouth.  
“I’m going to take my time today.” Cecil’s smirk was audible in his voice, though Reyes could only see part of his face. She could see what he was about to do to Kevin, though, and she almost wished she couldn't.  
Cecil placed the tip of the blade right about Kevin’s left nipple and pressed into the skin, drawing blood. Kevin strained his body, but made no noise. Cecil turned the knife at an angle and dragged it, slitting the skin open in a curve a couple inches long across Kevin’s chest.   
“Come on, Kev. You remember how you always wanted us to scream. You stabbed Carlos because he wouldn’t scream for you. Now it’s your turn to make some noise.” He deepened the cut and kept curving it around like he was making a circle. Cecil leaned in close, inches from Kevin’s face, and whispered frighteningly. “Tell me how much it hurts.”  
As Cecil continued the fluid curve over most of Kevin’s chest, he bit his lip to hold back sound. Cecil jerked the knife, and Kevin yelled out a horrible scream that left Reyes’s ears ringing. She couldn't believe what she was seeing.   
Cecil backed up to admire his work. Blood was pouring out from Kevin’s chest, making it impossible to see the shape Cecil had made. He dropped Kevin carelessly on to the floor and walked back to where he got the knife, returning with a roll of paper towels. He wiped off the sides of the knife on Kevin’s face, leaving him smeared in his own blood. He then ripped off a paper towel and cleaned up Kevin’s chest. Blood continued to pulse out.   
“I don’t want you to bleed out, obviously.” Cecil stated, walking back to the table of supplies and returning with a box.   
He kneeled down in front of Kevin and opened the box, taking some things out. He poured a clear liquid that looked like rubbing alcohol on to a swab and began cleaning Kevin’s chest. Kevin screamed horribly and thrashed, causing Cecil to hold him down fiercely with his tentacles while he worked. After disinfecting, Cecil pulled out a strange medical tool Reyes did not recognize.  
“I made the cut deeper than I intended to.” He informed Kevin, who was not paying attention, and whose eyes were glazed over. “I’m very surprised you’ve stayed conscious this long. It would be much easier for you if you just passed out, though much less satisfying for me.”   
Cecil took the same tool and turned it on before poking the cut in several places. Kevin screamed out, and Reyes realized that Cecil was cauterizing it. Cecil then, with a needle and some floss, stitched up other parts of Kevin’s cut. Cecil was clearly planning to hold on to Kevin for a long time.  
“That should scar. But even if it doesn't, I’ll just have to try again next time.” Cecil sounded so out of character to Reyes, she wanted to wake up and find that all of this had been a nightmare. Once Cecil closed the box and backed away, she realized what he had carved. A letter ‘C’. Kevin looked down at it too.   
“Wh… which one of you does it stand for?” He barely managed to whisper.   
“Whichever one you prefer.” Cecil grinned in a way that felt… evil. Reyes was actually afraid of him.   
She saw that Kevin’s eyes were closed, and Cecil had his back turned at the supply table. She saw her chance, and slipped into the room. It was only lit in the center, so she hid in the opposite corner. She was out of sight from either of them unless Cecil got right next to her.   
“I almost forgot your nourishment.” Cecil noted. He walked back over to Kevin holding a large syringe.   
“No…” Kevin protested, unable to stop what was coming. “Please, no, no, just let me starve, please!”   
Cecil ignored him and plunged the syringe right into Kevin’s neck. Kevin shook like he was seizing for several seconds before stabilizing.   
“Ugh, I got blood on my leggings.” Cecil groaned. “I’ll have to make sure my sweet Carlos isn’t home so I can change.”   
The way Cecil spoke like nothing was unusual was beyond unsettling for Reyes. She barely breathed. She feared that he might even kill her if he knew she had seen everything. Cecil turned and looked at Kevin. He stepped just close enough to grab Kevin’s head with a tentacle and smack it against the wall. Kevin passed out instantly, and Cecil didn’t even look at him while he pulled out his phone.   
“Hey, darling. Are you home?” Cecil asked. Reyes couldn't believe what she was hearing. Cecil was calling Carlos and lying to him right there. There was a pause while Carlos spoke. “Okay, could you go out and get some more coffee grounds? I think we’re low on my favorite.” Another pause. “Thank you, sweet Carlos. It’s swamped here at the office. Station management is being a little antsy, and I can't imagine why.”   
Reyes felt terror in that moment. Cecil was either a compulsive liar, or a sociopath, or both. Cecil wrapped up the conversation and hung up. He leaned against the wall and make sounds that sounded unlike what she had heard from him that day. It sounded like he was… crying. He wiped his face and mumbled something inaudible to himself before leaving the room and locking the door behind him.   
Reyes emerged from her dark corner and turned the light back on, stepping into it. Kevin stirred.  
“Do… do I know you…?” Kevin whispered hoarsely, clearly still in immense pain.   
“Yeah.” She replied, giving no more than that. “Have you been down here this whole time since…”  
“Since hours after I dumped Carlos off.” He finished for her. She felt distaste at the mention of her brother like that, but kept it hidden. His eyes perked up only slightly. “Can you tell me how long it’s been?”  
“You don’t remember?” He shook his head desperately. “Three months.”   
Kevin leaned back farther against the wall.   
“I only had Carlos for a day. And then another couple of hours. This is… this is too much.” He moaned.  
“You had Cecil and Janice for years.” She reminded him coldly. Kevin waved his hand, brushing it off.   
“I was just doing a job then. The Carlos stuff was personal.” Kevin hoarsed. A wistful look appeared in his eyes. “He was so pretty.”   
“You’re a monster.” She turned around and walked towards the door.  
“Wait!” Kevin choked on his exclaim. “He’s just as bad as I am. Killing me would have been one thing- acceptable revenge- but this? This is indefinite. I think he wants to keep doing this until I die on my own. That’s cruel.” He pleaded quietly.   
“You would have done the same thing to my brother if you had the chance.” She pierced him with her eyes.  
“Brother? You’re… I heard Carlos had a sister. You’re pretty, too. Come closer, let me look at you.” He murmured, still in pain.   
She turned around and stood in front of the cage. She then took out her phone and snapped a picture of the miserable, bloodied Kevin. Evidence. She then clicked off the light and tried to open the door… forgetting that Cecil had locked it.   
“Shit.” She whispered instinctively. Kevin giggled. “Shut up.” She whispered snarkily.   
Reyes took her phone back out and called Janice.   
“God, where are you? Neither of you came back, and I got worried something crazy happened-” Janice started.  
“Something did happen, but I’m fine. Cecil must have taken a different way home since he was… nevermind.”  
“He was what? Reyes, what’s going on? Why aren't you back?”   
“I got locked in. You need to come rescue me.”  
“Okay, that’s no problem. I have my girl scout patch in Advanced Lockpicking, and I remember which room it is. Be there in five.”  
“Wait- before you hang up. When you get here… I don’t want you to come in the room. I just need you to unlock the door for me.”   
“What? Why? What’s in there?”  
“You don't need to see this, okay?” Reyes snapped. There was a pause. “Are you there?” She asked quietly.  
“Yeah. I’m on my way.” Janice hung up.   
“Was that pretty Carlos?” Kevin whispered in the darkness.  
“It’s none of your fucking business.” Reyes retorted.   
“It must have been the other sea freak, the little girl. Makes sense that you two are working together.” He mumbled.  
“If you don't shut up, I’ll be the next one to punch you in the face.”   
Kevin giggled.   
“You are so much like your brother.” Reyes held in her rage. As much as she wanted to grab him by the throat and make him suffer for what he did to her loved ones… she didn’t. He got enough of that from Cecil.  
“You deserve everything that he does to you. I hope you rot down here.” She seethed. He didn’t say anything. She wasn’t completely sure if she thought Cecil was right in torturing Kevin, but she knew he was wrong in lying to Carlos.   
Moments later, the door clicked open. Reyes stepped outside with Janice and closed the door behind her.   
“Thanks.” She smiled. Janice said nothing, and did not smile back. They made their way back to Janice’s house.   
When they got to the door, Reyes was unsure of what to do. She wasn't sure if Janice wanted her to stick around.  
“Are you coming in?” Janice asked.   
Reyes nodded and followed Janice to her room. Reyes sat on Janice’s bed and folded her hands nervously. Janice did nothing.  
“What are you trying to protect me from?” Janice finally asked. Reyes hesitated.  
“You don't want to know.” Reyes promised.   
“What are you talking about? We were partners in this! You don't need to protect me! And also, he’s my uncle, and I love him! If he’s doing something sketchy, I deserve to know!” There was a knock at the door. “Yeah?” Janice called. Janice’s mom Abby poked her head around the door.  
“Are you girls okay in here?” She asked.  
“Yeah, Mom. We’re fine.”  
“Reyes, you want a water or anything?” She offered.   
“No, thanks, Ms. Palmer.” She smiled, trying to convince Janice’s mom that nothing was going on.   
“How’d your shoes get so dirty?” She chuckled. Reyes looked at her sneakers, and saw that the bottoms were caked in blood that Abby clearly mistook for dirt.  
“Oh, I must have stepped in a mud puddle.” She brushed off.   
“Is that blood on your shoes?” Janice asked once her mom was gone. “That’s blood on your shoes.” She answered her own question, then considered the possibilities. Her eyes widened. “Is it my uncle’s? Is he okay? What’s going on?” She demanded worriedly.  
“Here.” Reyes handed Janice her phone. “Cecil’s fine. I can't keep this from you, but I want you to know, you’re not going to like it.” She sucked in a breath. “Look at the last picture I took.”   
Janice furrowed her brow and opened the phone, tapping several times before seeing the photo. Her eyes widened, and she dropped the phone and smacked her hand over her mouth. Reyes jumped up to pick up her phone.   
“No no no no, this can’t be possible.” She muttered, desperately looking into Reyes’s eyes for any explanation other than the truth.  
“Cecil is holding him in the basement of City Hall so he can take his revenge… by hurting him the same way Kevin hurt you, Cecil, and my brother.” She clarified. At the mention of that name, Janice shuddered.  
“Please never say his name again.” She requested quietly, and Reyes nodded. “I blocked all of that out because I thought it was over, that he was dead.”  
“I know.”   
“So… Carlos was right to be suspicious. Cecil’s lied to all of us.” She looked defeated.  
“Yeah.” Reyes agreed, letting Janice process it.  
“Cecil’s never hid anything from me before; he’s always known I could handle it. He never treated me like a kid.”   
Reyes nodded.  
“What do we do now?” She laughed, though she did not find it funny.   
“Do you want to tell Carlos?”  
“I… I don't know. He finally got mostly over it, but he needs to know that I was right about Cecil. Damn, it sucks to be right.”  
“Should we tell Cecil we know?”   
“I don't know if that’s a good idea.” Reyes said quickly.  
“Why?”  
“You didn't see how he was down there… when he did all of that to K- to that beast.” Reyes recalled.  
“What are you saying? You don't actually think my Cecil would turn on us, do you?” Janice replied.  
“No, I don't think he would, but… I wish I hadn’t seen him like that.”   
Janice pursed her lips. Reyes looked at her bloody shoes.   
“What should we do?” Janice whimpered, lost and defeated.  
“I’m going to talk to Carlos before we talk to Cecil. If we talk to Cecil. I’m not telling Carlos what’s down there, I’m just going to see what he knows.” Reyes decided.  
“Okay.” Janice agreed with a nod


	3. Split

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter switches to three different POVs, more or less. Sorry it's shorter, but i'm working on the 4th one now.

Three days had passed since Carlos had asked Cecil about ‘community business’, and he had forgotten there was ever any problem. Carlos was drinking some chocolate cinnamon tea in his lab while he let a computer run some numbers. He and Cecil were both at work. Nothing seemed to be wrong in the world.   
Suddenly, the lab door slammed open, and in stomped Reyes.   
“Hey, girlie.” Carlos greeted with a smile. “What’s going on?”  
“You never told me what Cecil said ‘community business’ was.” She casually said, sitting in a chair next to Carlos’s workspace.  
“Oh, sorry about that. I’ve been working.” Carlos smiled. “It’s not a big deal.”  
“So he didn't tell you?”  
“No, I-”  
“So he did tell you?” Reyes cut off. Carlos took a breath, thinking about how to answer.  
“He told me where he was and what he was doing.” Carlos finally spoke.  
“He did?” Reyes’s shock was evident in her voice.   
“Yes. Why would he hide that from me?” Carlos countered.  
“Well, I found out what he does, and I just thought you’d be more upset.” Carlos raised an eyebrow.  
“Why would I be upset? He’s not doing anything wrong, and he’s not getting hurt.” Carlos didn't understand her confusion, or why she thought he’d be upset that Cecil was working for the secret police. “How’d you find out what he does?”  
“Not important.” Reyes brushed off. “You really don't think he’s doing anything wrong? Going to the basement of city hall and…” Reyes didn't know how to phrase it. Torturing? Executing justice?  
“Wait, city hall? He’s not at city hall.” Carlos shook his head. Reyes paused, pursed her lips, and studied Carlos closely.  
“So he lied to you again.” She whispered.  
“What makes you think you know what my boyfriend is doing better than I do?” He crossed his arms, tired of Reyes’s accusations towards Cecil.  
“I followed him. I saw him down there.” She answered simply.  
“You followed him? Are you crazy? What’s wrong with you?” Carlos snapped. Reyes flinched.   
“I was just trying to help.” She muttered apologetically.  
“It’s none of your business what he’s doing, Reyes. It’s not even any of my business unless he decides to tell me about it! You need to stay out of it. It’s not your place.” Carlos firmly told her.  
“But, Carlos, if you saw what he was doing down there-”   
“I don't want to hear it!” He bit. Her heart dropped, and she stood up.   
“I’ll stay out of it.” She murmured quietly on her way to the door.  
“Reyes, I’m sorry I snapped.” Carlos called after her.  
“It’s fine!” She exasperated, turning around for a second as she was halfway out the door. “If you don't mind being lied to, then you’re perfect for each other.”  
The door slammed even harder than it did when she came in. Carlos stood, not able to form a clear thought with everything that Reyes said rushing through his head. He sat down in the chair she had been in and put his face in his hands.   
Cecil had lied about where he was. Or, maybe, being in city hall was a one-time thing? He could be telling the truth. Carlos couldn't imagine Cecil ever knowingly lying to him. They shared almost everything, and knew about the worst things they had ever experienced. They knew about each other's families, and loved them like their own. Carlos’s heart panged thinking about someone who he loved and trusted so much… lying to him about whatever it was that made Reyes so concerned.  
Carlos felt awful that he had snapped at her, but she had crossed a line. She tailed Cecil and spied on him. If Carlos had let her tell him what was going on, it would have been like condoning what she did. He couldn't believe Reyes was so quick to turn on Cecil, when they had been so friendly ever since she and Carlos’s mother came into town.   
She said that whatever Cecil was doing would have upset Carlos, which couldn't be good. Carlos’s brain ran at rapid speeds, considering every possible thing Cecil could be doing in the City Hall basement that would make Carlos upset. He felt his heart racing thinking about Cecil, but for once, it wasn’t in a good way. He sighed and went back to work, pushing all his personal matters aside and focusing on science, which was the only thing he was sure of in that moment. He turned off his phone so no one would bother him.

-

Cecil paced around in his radio booth. He was scheduled to go on the air in half and hour, but all he could think about was Carlos.  
It was common for him to be consumed by thoughts of Carlos, but lately, it had been different. He was so full of guilt. Every time he lied to Carlos, another ten pounds felt like it was added on to his heart. But still, how could he ever come clean? What would he even say?  
Most importantly… would Carlos finally think that he was, in fact, a monster? Would Carlos feel so betrayed, that he would leave Cecil? The thought hurt Cecil’s soul, and his hands trembled as he picked up his phone. Ten minutes until he had to be on the air, and an intern was ushering him in. He held up a finger and said he’d be in in a second.  
“Hey, Carlos?” He called into the phone after several rings. “I hate that I got your voicemail, but… I need to… confess something. I-I’m sorry, I j-just…” Cecil faded off. His voice cracked at the end, thinking of what might happen after he told the truth. “I’ll see you at home. L-love you.” His voice broke completely once he said those last two words and turned off his phone.   
If coming clean made Carlos leave, even if it made Carlos hate him, it was better than lying to him a day longer. The guilt over the past months had been tearing him apart, and he was taking it out on Kevin. Slashing and beating him was the only thing that made Cecil feel better, aside from being with Carlos. He had become addicted to hurting him, to taking the most brutal revenge he could muster. He justified it in his mind by telling himself that it’s what Kevin did to him and the people he loved first, but… it felt wrong.   
Carlos had always seen the man behind the monster, but now… Cecil was beginning to think they were one and the same.   
He took a deep breath, swallowed hard, and sat down in his chair before pulling on his headphones and starting the show. 

-

Reyes shut the door hard on her way into her room, panting hard to catch her breath. She ran all the way home from Carlos’s lab. She was upset that Carlos yelled at her, but she was shedding no tears. She was more angry than sad. It was like he trusted his boyfriend more than his own sister, which was crazy, right? Carlos was being a… a jerk. Reyes plopped down on her bed. Febe opened the door and looked at her. Seeing her horrible mood, she came in and sat down next to her on the bed.  
“Is everything okay?” She asked kindly, placing a hand on her daughter’s knee.  
“No.” Reyes huffed in response. “Carlos is being…” She drifted off. Anything she called him would either get her in trouble, or sound like childish whining.   
“What did he do?” Febe asked with concern.  
“He…” Reyes thought, pursing her lips and leaning back on the bed. “He’s not listening to me.”   
“Why not?”   
Reyes didn't know how to answer that. Obviously, she couldn't tell her mother everything that she found out. Her mother did not need to know what was going on.   
“Alright. I get it, bebé. You don't want to tell me all your problems with your big brother. That’s fine. I’ll make you some tea if you’d like.” Her mother offered sympathetically.   
“Okay.” Reyes replied simply. She decided to let her mother believe that teenage issues were the only problem. Febe left, only returning several minutes later with the tea before leaving again with a small smile.   
Reyes pulled out her sketchbook and flipped through it. A color sketch of Janice in the pool. Another of a Night Vale sunset. A black and white sketch of Carlos and her mother, together. She had no inspiration to draw, but wanted to look back at the work she had done since coming to Night Vale. It wasn’t much, but it was pretty good, she thought.   
She sighed and tossed her book to the side, irritated thinking about Carlos. Sure, it was kind of bad for her to follow Cecil like that, but didn't what she found justify that? Carlos had to know, but he wouldn't listen to her. She would have to trick him into catching Cecil in the act, and maybe then he would see that she was only trying to help. She knew this would take some serious conspiring, so she decided to call her partner in crime: Janice. Janice was hesitant to try and do more espionage, when that was what Carlos had gotten mad about in the first place, but eventually agreed. She’d help Reyes with anything. So, a plan was formed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thanks for reading!


End file.
